Chapter 35: Wronged

Under the guidance of the security guard, Xu Chunian arrived at Zhuzhu’s teacher’s office.

She knocked on the door, and it quickly opened from the inside.

“Hello, what should I call you?” asked Zhuzhu’s teacher, whom Xu Chunian had seen before.

“I’m Zhuzhu’s mother, Xu.” Xu Chunian stepped past her and surveyed the room.

Zhuzhu stood quietly in the corner, one hand nervously gripping her little pig toy, while a little boy nearby was playing with toy cars with an adult, their laughter ringing loudly.

The two children were separated by some distance, as if they belonged to two different worlds.

“Ms. Xu, here’s the situation.”

“Sorry, can I take a look at Zhuzhu first?”

The teacher quickly stepped aside, “Of course, please comfort her first. We can talk once Haohao’s parents arrive.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Xu Chunian then walked towards the corner.

“Zhuzhu.” She called softly.

Zhuzhu instinctively flinched.

Xu Chunian crouched down behind her, “Mommy will check if you’re hurt.”

Only then did Zhuzhu turn around, cautiously looking at her. There was a small red mark on her forehead where she bumped it.

“Does it hurt?” Xu Chunian asked, looking at her with concern.

In almost an instant, Zhuzhu’s big eyes filled with tears, her little mouth pouting as she looked pitifully at her. Xu Chunian found it hard to describe her feelings; just seeing one child being accompanied by someone while another stood alone in the corner was enough to make her heart ache.

Everyone here seemed to judge based on appearances; usually, it was the assistants who dealt with such situations.

When Zhuzhu saw Xu Chunian, she was initially frightened. But upon hearing her caring words, it was as if she had spotted a lifeline after drifting for too long, and her heart settled.

Xu Chunian gently hugged her, “Don’t be afraid, Mommy is here. Mommy has your back.”

“Waaah!”

In an instant, Zhuzhu burst into loud tears in her arms.

Xu Chunian felt a lump in her throat, cursing herself for the first time in her heart.

The office door opened again.

“Mrs. Wang.”

Mrs. Wang pushed past the teacher in front of her and walked up to her son, checking him carefully, “My dear son, are you hurt?”

The boy proudly pouted his chest, “I’m not hurt; I won!”

Mrs. Wang sighed in relief, then stood up, casting a reproachful glance at the teacher, “Teacher You, everyone’s time is precious. There’s no need to make such a fuss over this.”

Before the teacher could respond, Xu Chunian couldn’t hold back any longer, “Mrs. Wang, isn’t it the school’s responsibility to address your son’s lack of manners?”

Mrs. Wang shot her an impatient glance, “Manners? Your manners are being a young mistress to someone?”

Xu Chunian didn’t want to escalate the argument, “Just because I’m young and beautiful, you think you can speak so vilely because you feel old and washed up?”

“You…” Mrs. Wang’s expression changed suddenly.

“Wait a moment, Ms. Xu, Mrs. Wang.” The teacher timely interrupted their conversation, “It’s like this: the two children had a dispute over a toy this afternoon.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhuzhu peeked her little head out, her eyes red as a single tear rolled down.

She held up her beloved toy pig to show Xu Chunian. Wherever Zhuzhu went, her little pig toy went with her. When her hands were full, she would tuck it under her neck. The once pink-and-white pig had been washed so many times that it was now faded, and the stitching was a bit crooked.

At that moment, the seam on the back of the little pig was torn, revealing fluffy white stuffing inside.

Xu Chunian’s heart ached as she looked at Zhuzhu’s treasured toy, which had clearly been through a lot. She gently took the toy from Zhuzhu’s hands and inspected it closely.

“Look at this little piggy,” Xu Chunian said softly. “It’s been so brave, just like you. We’ll fix it, okay?”

Zhuzhu sniffled and nodded, her tears still glistening in her eyes.

Mrs. Wang, however, was not finished. “Teacher You, I think it’s important to address this. My son was merely defending himself. If your student can’t handle losing, that’s not my son’s fault.”

Xu Chunian turned to Mrs. Wang, her voice steady. “It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about how our children learn to interact with one another. Teaching them kindness and respect is crucial.”

Mrs. Wang rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Perhaps you need to focus on raising your child better instead of blaming others.”

The tension in the room escalated, but before Xu Chunian could respond, the teacher interjected once more. “Let’s calm down. We need to focus on resolving this situation for the sake of both children.”

Xu Chunian took a deep breath, trying to rein in her emotions. “You’re right, let’s focus on Zhuzhu and how she feels. We can handle the rest later.”

With that, she knelt down beside Zhuzhu again, wrapping her arms around her. “You’re strong, Zhuzhu. Remember that. We’ll make sure you feel better, okay?”

Zhuzhu nodded, her little face slowly calming down as she felt her mother’s warmth and support. Xu Chunian knew that no matter what happened outside, she would always be there to protect her daughter.